She played his mom in 2004’s Alexander, but rumor had it that Angelina Jolie’s feelings for Colin Farrell were more than maternal. The pair was said to have had a steamy fling at the time (she divorced Billy Bob Thornton in 2003; he split from model Kim Bordenave that same year).

Now sources exclusively tell In Touch Angie, 49, still has a crush on the 48-year-old — especially since the one-time bad boy has cleaned up his act.

“They were a great match, but the timing wasn’t right, they both had a lot of growing up to do,” says an insider. “She’s very impressed with the work that he’s done on himself and the man that he’s become.”

The mom of six (with ex Brad Pitt) was particularly moved to see the Irish actor as a father, notes the insider. The dad of two recently opened up about his and Kim’s 20-year-old son, James, who was diagnosed at 2 with a rare neurological disorder that causes intellectual and developmental delays.

“Everything’s magnified when you have a child with special needs,” he said, adding that his son was his inspiration for “putting the bottle down” and getting sober. Says the source, “Angelina and Colin are both such loving parents, that’s something that’s important to her.”